Page 32 of Honeyfires

She propped herself up to read my face. "But I've always wanted to try it, I swear." She touched my jaw, very light. "I just never… I didn't know anyone I trust enough to—" She gestured briefly at the general situation. "To do this with."

"Vera." I brought her hand to my mouth and pressed a kiss to her palm. "You should have told me. I would have—"

"What? Slowed down?" The eyebrow went up. "I didn't want slow. I wanted exactly what you gave me." She kissed the corner of my mouth. "And I want it again, actually."

I stared at her. "Already?"

"Fast learner." Her hand resumed its course, unhurried and sure. "My body is so needy right now. I'm soaked and I'm buzzing and I'm throbbing and I want you so, so bad it almost hurts."

I brought her hand up and pressed my lips to her knuckles. "Tell me what you want."

She was quiet for a moment. Not hesitant; I was already learning the difference between Vera's hesitations and Vera's considerations. This was the latter. She was choosing her words with the care she brought to everything that mattered to her.

"There's something I've thought about," she said. "For a long time."

"Tell me."

"I want your hand." She didn't look away. "On my throat."

I went still.

"Not hard," she said quickly. "I don't need—I don't want it rough. I just want—" She paused, searching. "The feeling of it. Your hand there. You being that close. Knowing you could, and knowing you won't." Her eyes held mine. "Does that make sense?"

It made complete sense. It also required me to take one careful breath before I answered.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"I've been sure about it for longer than I've known you existed." The corner of her mouth curved. "That's how fantasies work."

"And if it's too much—"

"Parachute." She said it gently but clearly, like she understood why I needed to hear it one more time. "I know, Petra. I trust you." Her fingers found my jaw. "That's the whole point. I trust you, and that's why I'm asking."

Warmth flooded my veins. She trusted me.

That was all I needed to hear.

"Okay," I said.

Her breath went quiet.

"Lie back."

She settled against the pillow, her hair spreading out, and watched me move over her with those enormous dark eyes. I took my time. I kissed her throat first, both sides, slow and open-mouthed, feeling her pulse racing under my lips, and let her feel the drag of my teeth at the curve of her neck until she was making small, helpless sounds and her hips were pushing up to find me.

"Petra—"

"I know." I brought two fingers down and stroked through her, and she was soaked, slick and swollen and trembling, and the sound she made at that first contact nearly undid me again. I worked her slowly, circling her clit without pressure, watching her face. "You're so wet."

"I told you," she managed. "I've been—god—I've been thinking about this since—"

"Since noon," I said.

She laughed, breathless. "Eight-fifteen."

I slid two fingers inside her tight heat and felt her clench immediately around them, her whole body drawing me in, and I stayed still for a moment, just letting her feel it, watching her chest rise and fall.

"Ready?" I asked.